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Alice Diamond of Boulder writes:

I feel like a sitting duck. I feel far less safe in a gun-laced America than I would in an America with strict and reasonable gun-control laws. I feel undefended within my own borders. The gun defenders of this country vociferously quote the Second Amendment, which was a 1789 compromise between Federalists, who supported ratification of the Constitution and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it.
After many months of discussion and re-wording, the amendment was finally agreed to by both camps as: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” This amendment has everything to do with the right of States to defend themselves against a federal government trying to wield too much power. This is an important right to protect; the behavior of the current administration being a good example of why. However, I do not see the logic of invoking this amendment to secure unimpeded access to automatic and semi-automatic weapons like the Glock 19 used by the Virginia Tech mass murderer of 33 people. The Second Amendment was created to protect the People but is being used inappropriately to literally kill us. Cho Seung-Hui was not who James Madison had in mind when he declared the necessity of “a well regulated militia”. Nor was the Glock 19 what our fore-fathers had in mind when they ratified “the right of the People to keep and bear arms”.
The irony is that a majority of America ’s gun defenders are also supporters of the current administration, an administration that has done more than any other in our entire history to erode the rights and powers of its states, citizens, and lawmakers.
This administration is purposely seeking sole discretionary power for the executive branch. If there was ever a time in history to train the sites of those Second Amendment guns on the federal government, this would be it. And yet, those guns continue to kill innocent, law-abiding citizens, students and children at an alarming rate. The current administration loves to say they are making America safer. I have never felt as unsafe as I do right now knowing that domestic terror is alive and well in America with an endless supply of guns to feed it.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

First of all, Alice, if you feel so unsafe here in America, you should go buy a gun. or Two guns. Make one of them a rifle. Also, stock up on ammo. Couple thousand round per gun, at least. Your insecurities are well founded because you are much less safe now than before the cheney/bush crime syndicate took over.
Second point, constitutional guarantees to the right to bear arms is not exclusive to bush supporters. I can attest to that. So please, go purchase some WSD (weapons of self-defence) legally, before it is too late!

Boulder....go figure.

Alice, put a big sign on your front door that says; "GUN FREE HOUSEHOLD", and see how safe you feel then.

There are PILES of "reasonable" gun laws on the books, do they stop someone bent on murder? No.

Do you think the First Amendment applies
only to state-controlled media outlets?
No?
Then why the insinuation the Second only applies to "states".

My apologies if this isn't your mindset, just seems to be, by the tone of your letter.

I'm sure you feel perfectly safe in your car though.....

Alice, you project the fear, and you will receive it back.

There are basically two choices, fear and love. If you fear firearms well you have it come back somehow. Displaying a Gun Free Household sign will certainly bring about what you fear sooner.

Dictators love gun control, it is far easier to imprison the population when police stormtroopers face no fire when hauling the families off. The second amendment is meant to keep tyranny at bay in addition to home defense.

It appears Iraq has more of our Bill of Rights than us, we may as well give them our constitution now, we are not using it anymore.

Alice, you'd feel safer with more strict and reasonable guns laws? You do realize that law-abiding citizens are the only ones who obey gun laws. Unfortunately, law-abiding citizens aren't part of the problem, so forcing new laws on them wouldn't solve anything.

I doubt very much criminals and psychopaths who already ignore the gun laws we do have - not to mention laws against murder, rape, and robbery - are going to suddenly start obeying any new gun laws that are passed.

And banning semiautos because one does not use these for hunting.......

Two words, Ludlow Massacre.

What are you saying, that two vague sentences written over 200 years ago can be misrepresented? Wow, I bet the next thing you will tell me is that I do not need an AR-15 to hunt deer.

A liberal Democrap from The Peoples Republic Of Boulder, has spoken. What more needs to be said?

Alice in Wonderland said…”I feel like a sitting duck. I feel far less safe in a gun-laced America than I would in an America with strict and reasonable gun-control laws.” – funny, I would feel a lot safer with dangerous criminals locked away. Until that happens I reserve the right to defend myself and those around me by any means necessary, including guns. I would not appreciate a Catch 22 system of law abiding citizens not being able to own guns, and at the same time current laws are not enforced to disarm convicted felons. I’m tired of reading about this “we could see this coming” talk after every massacre. If you see something coming that do something about it. If she’s serious about reducing crime, perhaps she can organize a demonstration against murder and tougher laws, instead of the Great Smokeout pot smoking day. On the same day of the Virginia Tech massacre 50 other people was killed throughout the country. And 50 more every day before and after that. Instead of focusing on an object, we must go after the real problem, these animals who prey on the innocent.

thats "for thougher laws"-sorry

Alice try Mexico. All guns are outlawed, and we all know there isn't any gun violence in Mexico.

Alice said that here in America we have '''...unimpeded access to automatic and semi-automatic weapons".

Really? I can go to the corner gun shop and walk out 5 minutes later with a machine gun?

Alice, a bit of advice: Your arguments will stand up to more scrutiny when you actually have some knowledge of the subject at hand.

"If there was ever a time in history to train the sites of those Second Amendment guns on the federal government, this would be it."

No wonder Alice feels unsafe - she has just advocated the violent overthrow of the US government, which, by law, now makes her ineligible to purchase a firearm for her own defense.

mike h: "First of all, Alice, if you feel so unsafe here in America, you should go buy a gun. or Two guns. Make one of them a rifle. Also, stock up on ammo. Couple thousand round per gun, at least."

This is the mindset of some of the pro-gun crowd. It is sick. If mike h wants that kind of a country, he might consider moving to Iraq.

Posted by on May 30, 2007 08:23 AM: "This is the mindset of some of the pro-gun crowd. It is sick. If mike h wants that kind of a country, he might consider moving to Iraq."

I believe mike was being facetious. You might want to lighten up a bit.

Alice and millions like her are coming after our guns.The best way to fight her kind is to join the NRA today.1-877-NRA-2000.Tomorrow could be too late.I know I lived in California most of my life.

YOU ARE A SITTING DUCK...and where do you think that an insane murderer, intent on doing maximum damage, go in order to inflict his evil intentions? To a shooting gallery where the ducks can't shoot back--like the VA Tech campus!

It's really quite simple. This country was created by the gun. It will be protected by the gun and maintained by the gun. When you live in a free country there are certain dangers that one must expect. If you don't like the dangers of a free society, then you should move to one that is not. Because changing this country into want you want won't be allowed by the majority of people.

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